Is periodontal disease reversible? Are there ways to keep periodontal disease from progressing? Periodontal disease is a gum infection that occurs due to poor oral hygiene habits. As a result, it allows plaque to build up and harden in the long run. If someone leaves it untreated, it can lead to tooth loss and jawbone deterioration. It would help if you identify gum disease signs and ask your dentist how to work those out.
Gum disease or periodontal disease
This gum infection is only reversible during its first stage, which is gingivitis. Periodontal disease comes into two categories, gingivitis, and periodontitis. However, periodontitis is a more severe condition than gingivitis. Let us differentiate them more.
Gingivitis
During this stage, the disease hasn’t attacked the bone yet. The typical sign you can see in this stage is gum bleeding. Gum disease is a silent attacker because it doesn’t always show symptoms. Not until it is already in an advanced stage. However, there are some early warning signs that you can confirm to know if you have gingivitis.
- Gum recession
- Sores in the mouth
- Tender, swollen, red, or bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
In this stage, the gums become inflamed, which can also lead to infection. It is the result of plaque and tartar buildup. In effect, bacteria feed on them and thrive on teeth and gums. It is important to remember that this condition can progress. Your oral health is essential. So, if you believe you have gingivitis, consult your dentist immediately.
This dental team at Corrimal advises that you should no longer wait for your condition to develop into a more severe oral problem, known as periodontitis.
Periodontitis
The bacteria’s population inside the mouth will continue to grow if an individual lets plaque and tartar buildup in their teeth. In effect, the first stage of gum disease will develop and advance to periodontitis.
This gum disease will start to cause damage to your gums and teeth. As a result, it might lead to gum recession, which tooth loss can follow eventually. Healthy gum tissues are essential to keep the teeth intact.
The early warning signs that you have in gingivitis can advance also. In addition to those symptoms, pus can come out from your gums. Aside from that, chewing will be painful as well. We can still categorize periodontitis into three types: chronic, aggressive, and necrotizing periodontal disease.
- Chronic – this category can still undergo dental fixations.
- Aggressive – it is a rapid type that requires immediate action. Otherwise, bone and tooth loss is highly possible.
- Necrotizing – this type is the most severe type of periodontitis. The gum tissues will die along with a severe infection.
Note: Periodontitis is no longer reversible, unlike gingivitis. Slowing down periodontitis is the only thing you can do at this period.
Ways to reverse periodontal or gum disease
As mentioned earlier, you can only reverse a gum disease during its first stage. Reversing gum disease will not be possible if you already let it progress to the next level. Before that happens, you have to remove the plaque and tartar buildup on the tooth root and under the gum line.
In this case, it would be best to act on it before your condition moves forward to periodontitis. Here are some ways of how you can successfully reverse gum disease at an early stage.
- Always practice good oral hygiene habits. Brushing and flossing will help you remove the food particles in your teeth and gums. This way, bacteria cannot feed on it and grow. Aside from that, you can also use mouthwash. It can even kill bacteria and loosen food particles between the teeth.
- Do not miss any appointment with your dentist. Conduct regular dental visits because it serves as your preventive care as well. Your dentist will not only check for cavities and other issues but can also do dental cleaning to remove tartar that brushing and flossing alone cannot remove.
- Quit smoking or using tobacco products. Aside from gum irritation, it is not suitable for your overall health, most of all. You are also increasing your risk of developing cancer if you won’t stop.
- Laser dentistry can also help you preserve your gum tissues and help bones grow back through stem cell stimulations. Furthermore, this is a minimally invasive procedure. So, it would only require a minimal amount of anesthesia.
These ways may not be the only options you can do to keep you away from periodontal disease. Preventive dental care is the expertise of your dentist. For this reason, it would be best to maintain a regular visit with them.
Conclusion
Periodontal disease is reversible. However, that is only possible if you catch it in its early stage. You can reverse the damage done, restore your dental health, and prevent developing periodontitis.
Generally speaking, you don’t have to experience all of these if you take care of your teeth right the first time. Plaque control will prevent you from developing periodontal disease and other oral health problems.
For this reason, do your best to maintain good oral health condition. The key to achieving this lies in your hands and oral hygiene habits. If you don’t take care of it as early as possible, you will not enjoy your teeth in their maximum lifespan.
Never take your oral condition for granted. It would be best not to neglect any early warning signs to prevent severe dental issues from occurring.